Hoan Bridge Will Turn ‘Girl Scout Green’ to Celebrate 110 Years of Girl Scouting

Starting around 5:15 p.m. on the evening of March 12, the Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge will be lit up in ‘Girl Scout green’ by Light the Hoan to help celebrate Girl Scouts’ 110th national anniversary. Saturday, March 12 marks 110 years of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

Locally, Girl Scouting began more than 100 years ago in southeastern Wisconsin. Today, Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast (GSWISE) serves more than 10,000 girls in grades K5-12 throughout seven southeastern Wisconsin counties– Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha. Through a wide variety of programs focused on life skills, the outdoors, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and entrepreneurship, GSWISE provides opportunities for every Girl Scout in southeast Wisconsin to make friends, test their strengths, explore new possibilities, and be their best selves.

“For 110 years, Girl Scouts have been making lifelong friendships, helping others, being cookie bosses, and solving community problems,” said Christy Brown, CEO of GSWISE. “We are excited to honor the impact Girl Scouting has on our communities through the lighting of the Hoan Bridge this Saturday. Here’s to 110 more years of Girl Scouts doing incredible things to make the world a better place.”

GSWISE reports that just last year:

• 4,108 Girl Scouts had fun at council-led events, like Girl Scout Day at the Zoo
• 3,245 Girl Scouts participated in summer camp experiences, including overnight and day camp activities where they discovered an appreciation for the outdoors
• 1,440,384 packages of Girl Scout cookies were sold, helping Girl Scouts develop their own cookie businesses and learn critical business and life skills
• 1,261 Badge-in-a-Boxes – kits complete with activity directions and materials to earn badges – were distributed to local Girl Scouts, offering new ways for girls to explore the world around them and learn new skills from the comfort of their home
• 829 Girl Scouts participated in STEM activities, showing girls at every age how they can use science, technology, engineering, and math explore the world around them and make the world a better place
• 535 local Girl Scouts participated in community outreach and Latina initiative programs, which includes bilingual materials and custom curriculum led by paid Girl Scout staff and volunteers
• 332 Girl Scouts earned Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards, the highest awards earned in Girl Scouting, totaling more than 11,140 hours to the benefit community needs
• 2 local Girl Scouts received Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. National Lifesaving Medal of Honor awards, demonstrating courage, confidence, and character in emergency situations.

“When we set out to light the Hoan, we always wanted it to be about more than just lights on a bridge,” said Michael Hostad, President and Co-founder at Light the Hoan. “That’s why we’re so excited that the Hoan Bridge will be lit in green in honor of this incredible milestone for the Girl Scouts.”

For 110 years, Girl Scouts have found a way to dream big and do good. From reaching the outer limits of space to stocking their local food pantry, there is no challenge too big or need too small for a Girl Scout to tackle. Since day one, girls have found a way to create a better future for themselves, their communities, and the world. Based on research conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute, there are several benefits to Girl Scouting, including:

• Approximately 2/3 of Girl Scouts feel Girl Scouts supports their mental health. Eight in 10 Girl Scouts say:

o   It helped me feel less isolated and lonely

o   It helped me to feel more connected to other girls and the community

• Eight in 10 parents see their Girl Scout is developing important social and emotional skills
• During the first three months of the pandemic, more than 27,000 troops nationally engaged in COVID-related relief efforts. This amounted to 350,000 hours of community service, including:

o   356,000 donation drives

o   612,000 cards or letters sent to patients or healthcare workers

• Girl Scout alums believe in the power of Girl Scouting, and seven in 10 say Girl Scouts made a positive impact on their life
• Girl Scout alums say that Girl Scouts helped contribute to their career success and success in life

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About Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast (GSWISE)

Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. We serve approximately 10,650 girls in grades K5-12, and 5,200 adults who believe in our mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. With programs in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha counties, we give every girl in our council the chance to reach her full leadership potential. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit gswise.org, emailcustomercare@gswise.org, or call 800-565-4475.